First Great Western's managing director, Mark Hopwood said at the time: "For us, this franchise deal is about changing the way people think about rail.

"The Great Western network is already seeing the biggest investment since Brunel, and this deal has been designed to match that investment and ambition.

"It gives passengers newer trains, faster, more frequent services and importantly, given the growth this franchise has seen in recent years, more seats – three million extra seats a year by December 2018.

"We’ve worked with the department for transport to make sure passengers get every bit of benefit from the mainline electrification programme, while making sure no area misses out.

"I believe that the team at First Great Western will deliver for customers and the thriving communities and economies they serve, as well as the taxpayer."

In its early days, the GWR used a wider guage track than the rest of the country, which Brunel believed made for a smoother journey.

It was called 'God's Wonderful Railway' by some and the holiday line by others as people from London used it to go to the seaside in Bristol and the South West.